Midnight Bride The CEO's Temptation

The day of the wedding finally arrived, and Crystal was feeling very anxious. She had said that she wanted a simple ceremony, but Eric had disregarded her wishes, and all he had to say for himself was, "Surprise!"

"Fuck my life," she muttered, and he had laughed... as if she had been joking. She hadn't been.

On the way to the ceremony, she looked out the window and frowned. There was a helicopter hovering adjacent to the RV, and it was filming her approach. No doubt, it is being streamed online - she thought. "This is too much," she said.

Eric smiled and said, "It's for you. I spared no expense."

The road was lined with guests. From among them, Crystal spotted Nathan, and her face turned white. "What is Nathan doing here?" she cried.

"I invited him," Eric replied. "Since he is your ex-husband, it only seemed right that he should be here to bless your new life with me."

"How could you do this?" Crystal whined. "Why did you do this without consulting me?" She knew that whatever Eric said next would be bullshit. He did this as an open declaration of war.

"Have you forgotten our agreement?" Eric said. "I pamper and spoil you, and you help me get revenge!"

"Revenge?" Crystal glared at him and said, "I never agreed to this!"

****

Nancy opened the window and looked at the people on the street. Pedestrians were waving to her, and she waved back. She wondered why so many people had come to the wedding. It made no sense to her, but it did not bother her like it did Crystal. She was happy to be the center of attention, if just for one day. Then, suddenly, the helicopter flew towards her.

****

Paul was watching the event on his phone, and when he saw Nancy, he scowled. He had not gotten a wink of sleep since she left. He felt like his heart had been torn asunder, and he was miserable. "I hate you," he muttered. After today, all over the world, people would know that Nancy was Noah's wife.

Angrily, Paul opened the wardrobe in his room and ran his fingers over his various suits. Finally, he chose one that was light blue and put it on, along with a matching bowtie. Then he looked in the mirror and congratulated himself for how dignified he looked. "Dressed like this," he muttered, "I am sure to steal Noah's thunder."

Michelle came in with a cup of coffee, and when she saw Paul all dressed up and ready to go, she asked him where he was going.

"I'm going to the wedding," he replied.

"What the hell?!?!" Michelle stood at akimbo and said, "Didn't you promise me that you would not go to the wedding?"

Paul sighed and said, "How could I miss his disgrace? I need to be there!"

Michelle frowned. "Whose disgrace?" she wondered.

"Never mind," he replied.

Michelle's brows furrowed. "Paul, what are you going to do?"

"Don't worry. Just be here when I get back." He kissed her on the forehead, picked up his phone, and left. Michelle cursed, and then she called after him: "Paul, you forgot your coffee! You can finish your coffee before you go, can't you?"

She flinched as his car door slammed shut. "That bastard!" She had never been on the receiving end of such indifference.

****

Paul pealed out of the drive-in his limited edition silver sports car. He gripped the wheel with his left hand and his cell phone in his right. He was still watching the live stream from Nancy's wedding. He pressed down on the gas pedal and ground his teeth together. He was prepared to do whatever it took to ensure that today's event did not go according to plan. He was going to make Nancy pay.

Elsewhere, Nathan was watching the same broadcast. The wind blew through Crystal's hair, and his scowl was nearly the mirror image of Paul's.

The sun beat down on Crystal's face, and as angry as Nathan was, he could not deny that she was beautiful.

****

When Nathan saw the smile on Crystal's face, he presumed that since she had left him, she had found happiness. Unfortunately, her happiness was the cause of his misery, and ever since she had left him, he had stopped taking care of himself. His face was pale. His hair was too long. It covered his eyes, and he had not shaved in a week.

Why am I even here? -Nathan asked himself. On the morning that he had received the wedding invitation, he had cursed, crumpled it into a ball, thrown it into the bin, and forgotten it. He had tried to forget it, at least.

Vic cleared his throat, and once he knew that he had Nathan's attention, he said, "Master Davis, there are a lot of journalists out there. If you carry off with the bride - "

Nathan raised his hand to interrupt Vic, and then he turned back to the live stream that was playing on his phone.

The church was full of journalists from all over the world, and every move that the bridal party made was being captured, magnified, and transmitted to viewers all over the world.

****

Joyce didn't bother saying hello. As soon as Cecelia answered the phone, she blurted out, "Have you seen what that bitch, Crystal Smith, is up to?"

"I'm watching the ceremony now," Cecelia replied. "It's on every channel. I cannot believe my eyes. Is Eric Bush really going to marry her?" He should be mine! - she thought bitterly.

She had always had a secret crush on Eric.

Cecelia thought about Eric's evil but intoxicating eyes and the cold but charming smile that always lingered at the corners of his mouth, and her heart ached.

Joyce was nearly as upset as her friend was. As the event played out on the television, she clenched her teeth. If it had not been for Crystal, she would not have become such a joke on the internet and in real life. Once the obscene video had been posted online, she had been condemned by her classmates as well as the public.. Now, instead of paying for what she had done, Crystal was being given every woman's dream wedding.